Spotlight Sunday:
Jovee Winters
I have read every stinking one of Jovee's works of art and I can honestly say that I loooooove her.
How she manages to spin all of these fairy tales into something devious, romantic, and hilarious at the same time is beyond me. She doesn't just use the usual characters, she digs deeper. And for that reason, plus more, is why I fell in love with her books. You never know what to expect.
Q: What is your name?
A: Jovee Winters
Q: The Title of your Work or Group.
A: The Sea Queen
Q: Where are you from? (Does not have to be the name exactly.)
A: Born and raised the first part of my life in Panama before moving to the United States.
Q: In what genre do you write?
A: A little bit of everything under several different pen names. Marie Hall. Summer Evans who does military romances, Selene Charles and RS Black who do Urban Fantasy, and Jovee Winters who strictly writes paranormal romances.
Q: In your own words, what is your book about? If you were not the author and trying to explain this awesome book/series you just read to your friend, what would you say about it?
A: What happens when an elemental goddess of the waters decides she wants to learn how to live as a human, hilarity, excitement, and lots of fun, steamy sex with none other than Hades, Lord of the Underworld. Because it seems like just the sort of thing to do for a goddess both ancient and young like Calypso who hasn’t the first clue just what kind of beast she’s actually claimed.
Q: What is your writing style? Do you follow all guides and rules? Synopsis, outline, etc. Or do you just sit down at the computer and type to see what happens?
A: I am a panster in every sense of the word. I really don’t plot. I have a kernel of an idea, or sometimes just a thought and then I’m off and running. Many times the end result is just as much of a surprise to me as it will be for the readers.
Q: Have you ever written anything and thought, “The world has to see this!!”?
A: Pretty much anything I write as Summer Evans, or the contemporary romances I wrote as Marie Hall. Those books mean a lot to me and have a lot of me in them.
Q: Do you have an editor and Cover Designer or do you do it all yourself?
A: I have both. I switch between Anne Victory at Victory Editing or Red Adept Editing. And cover art is really so varied from genre to genre for me. My Urban Fantasies have been done by Damonza, Dan Dos Santos, and even Nathalia Sullen. My PNR’s are mostly Nathalia Sullen, Phatpuppy, or CrocoFrauke. My contemporary romances are mostly done by CrocoFrauke
Q: Who is your favorite author? Not just someone that you read a lot. I want to know whose book you read that made you suddenly know that if you didn’t do this for the rest of your life then you would never be happy.
A: It’s actually Louisa May Alcott. She wrote a lesser known work that is my absolute favorite of hers. It was called A Long Fatal Love Chase, it was utterly breathtaking and terrifying and transported me to another world full of possibilities as an impressionable child of 12. I loved everything about that book, except the ending. The ending I absolutely hated. I won’t spoil it for anyone who wants to read it, but I was left with a bad taste in my mouth. A feeling that it wasn’t fair and that in fiction at least I should be able to change things. Make them better. After reading that story was when my writing career began, though I didn’t know it at the time. It all started with little stories here and there, until one day I sat down and wrote a twist on a Beauty and the Beast theme (which is terrible and will never see the light of day), but an itch was born in me when I finished that first book. I was 22. I never stopped after that.
Q: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
A: Not particularly.
Q: Do you write your characters or do they write themselves through you?
A: My characters write themselves. I quit on a character if they make me work too hard for it. They have to be real to me in order for me to make them real for others, or why bother?
Q: Do you ever write yourself into the characters?
A: There is always a piece of me in all my books. Mostly my sense of humor is what shines through. To meet me you wouldn’t think I have much of one since I’m pretty serious and thoughtful in real life, but it’s definitely there and my characters are my way of expressing it.
Q: How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
A: HA! Dozens. And no, no one will ever see them.
Q: Is writing your full time job, or are you “keeping your day job” so to speak?
A: This is it for me. I’ve found my calling and even if I never make another dime at this it’s my passion
Q: If you could go back in time and meet one famous person or legend in history, who would it be and why?
A: That’s a good question. Jesus. Definitely Jesus. I want to find the truth.
Q: There are millions of new books released every year. What in your mind makes yours stand out from all those millions in your genre?
A: Not a darn thing. I write for me. The fact that others read the books and love them has been awesome, but I’ve never considered myself a particularly great writer. I have thoughts. I put them on paper (as it were.) That’s really it for me.
Q: In the world of Indie, marketing is very difficult, especially if you don’t have the fund to pay for it. Have you found a great free way to market your work that you think other Indies will benefit from?
A: Never underestimate the power of word of mouth. My first month Indie publishing I only sold 68 books. I didn’t know anyone. But I wrote to a theme that’s pretty universal. Fairy tales, the next month that number went to 250, and so on and so forth to where I am today in the thousands every month. I figure if you write something people are interested in, they’re going to find you. And if this all ends for me someday soon, well, it’s been a heck of a ride.
The Sea Queen is my absolute favorite by Jovee, so I love that she chose that book to share with us. The Sea Queen is book 1 in the Dark Queens series. It is recommended (by me) to read them in order.
(Dark Queens Series Book 1)
Synopsis:
Calypso, Queen of the Seas, is mad. Spitting mad. Ghosts of the dead are fouling her waters. She wants this problem fixed, and she wants it fixed now. Rushing off in search of Hades, Lord of the Underworld, to demand answers, she’s soon shocked to discover him bound and standing trial before a jury of his peers—for nothing less than murder.
Calypso normally despises the beastly gods, all of them, but there’s something about seeing Hades bound as he is that gives her an evilly clever idea. Tired of being a virgin queen, she wishes to shed that boring image once and for all, and no one seems quite as fit for the task as the gorgeous and brooding Hades. Of course, there is the minor problem of murder to deal with, but Calypso is bound and determined to have her way.
And when a dark queen gets an idea, nothing and no one can stand in her way…
Calypso normally despises the beastly gods, all of them, but there’s something about seeing Hades bound as he is that gives her an evilly clever idea. Tired of being a virgin queen, she wishes to shed that boring image once and for all, and no one seems quite as fit for the task as the gorgeous and brooding Hades. Of course, there is the minor problem of murder to deal with, but Calypso is bound and determined to have her way.
And when a dark queen gets an idea, nothing and no one can stand in her way…
Some of my other favorites by Jovee:
(Dark Queens Series: Book 4)
Synopsis:
Baba Yaga is probably the darkest of all the queens. An unrepentant bad girl, she has no time for men, or something as pedestrian as love. Too bad Calypso and Aphrodite never got that memo. They've decided to make the witch their pet project. Baba's choice is simple, fall in love with the male they found her, or die. She'd laugh, except for the little fact that they're totally serious. But Baba has never been a quitter, she'll go to that male, she'll even willingly go through the goddesses ridiculous "games," what she won't do is fall in love. At least, those were her plans until she stared into the ice blue eyes of a Viking god and realized her life would never be the same again...
(Dark Queens Series: Book 6)
Synopsis:
Cruel. Cold. Wicked. Just a few adjectives used to describe the most ancient of fairies—Galeta The Blue. But did you know, dear reader, that once upon a time, long, long ago, the Blue was the Benevolent Pink? Few know the trials of the fae reviled by all, save for one. The ancient and wise Creator. Galeta is the Creator’s daughter, and It will stop at nothing to save her. The truth of who the fairy really is may startle you. She’s the heroine of all of Kingdom. A sad truth no one knows, not even the wee fairy herself. The journey to getting her back will be marred by pain, trials, and tribulations, and when it’s over, Kingdom will never be the same again…
Some of my favorites from Marie Hall (Jovee's Pen Name):
(Although, I really love the entire series)
The first three books of the Kingdom Series:
THIS IS A COLLECTION OF THE FIRST 3 BOOKS. INCLUDED BONUS DELETED SCENES IN BOTH HATTER AND WOLF.
Her Mad Hatter:
Alice is all grown up. Running the Mad Hatter's Cupcakery and Tea Shoppe is a delicious job, until fate--and a fairy godmother with a weakness for bad boys--throws her a curveball. Now, Alice is the newest resident of Wonderland, where the Mad Hatter fuels her fantasies and thrills her body with his dark touch.
The Mad Hatter may have a voice and a body made for sex, but he takes no lovers. Ever. But a determined fairy godmother has forced Alice into Wonderland--and his arms. Now, as desire and madness converge, the Hatter must decide if he will fight the fairy godmother's mating--or fight for Alice.
Gerard's Beauty:
A not so classic retelling of Beauty and the Beast, as seen through the eyes of the villain...
Betty Hart has had it with men. Jilted in love, her life now consists of shelving books by day, watching too much Anime by night, and occasionally dressing up like a superhero on the weekends with her fellow ‘Bleeding Heart’ nerds. Men are not welcome and very much unwanted. Especially the sexy Frenchman who saunters into her library reeking of alcohol and looking like he went one too many rounds in the ring.
Gerard Caron is in trouble. Again. Caught with his pants down (literally) he’s forced to seek asylum on Earth while his fairy godmother tries to keep Prince Charming from going all ‘Off with his head’. Maybe, messing around with the King’s daughter hadn’t been such a great idea after all, not that Gerard knew the silly redhead was a princess. But his fairy godmother knows the only way to save his life is to finally pair Gerard with his perfect mate, whether he’s willing or not.
From the moment Gerard lays eyes on the nerdy librarian he knows he must have her, but Betty is unlike any woman he’s ever known. He thought Betty would come as willingly to his bed as every other woman before her, but she is a woman who demands respect and even… horror of all horrors… love. Is it possible for a self-proclaimed Casanova to change his ways?
Red and Her Wolf:
Long ago there lived a beautiful child. Her name was Violet. Fair of skin, with blonde hair and large blue eyes. Born of wild magic, she was a woman with a child’s heart. Innocent and lovely, but not at all what she seemed--you see Violet went by another name: The Heartsong.
She was the child of fairy magic, the physical manifestation of all fae kinds unbridled power. Cosseted and pampered, she grew up in isolation, never knowing who she really was, or why there were those who’d seek to harm her.
Ewan of the Blackfoot Clan is a wolf with a problem. He’s been sent to kill the Heartsong, but the moment he lays eyes on the blonde beauty he knows he’ll defy the evil fae he works for to claim Violet as his own.
This is the tale of Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, as it really happened...
This is not an erotica, just a good old fashioned romance.
Her Mad Hatter:
Alice is all grown up. Running the Mad Hatter's Cupcakery and Tea Shoppe is a delicious job, until fate--and a fairy godmother with a weakness for bad boys--throws her a curveball. Now, Alice is the newest resident of Wonderland, where the Mad Hatter fuels her fantasies and thrills her body with his dark touch.
The Mad Hatter may have a voice and a body made for sex, but he takes no lovers. Ever. But a determined fairy godmother has forced Alice into Wonderland--and his arms. Now, as desire and madness converge, the Hatter must decide if he will fight the fairy godmother's mating--or fight for Alice.
Gerard's Beauty:
A not so classic retelling of Beauty and the Beast, as seen through the eyes of the villain...
Betty Hart has had it with men. Jilted in love, her life now consists of shelving books by day, watching too much Anime by night, and occasionally dressing up like a superhero on the weekends with her fellow ‘Bleeding Heart’ nerds. Men are not welcome and very much unwanted. Especially the sexy Frenchman who saunters into her library reeking of alcohol and looking like he went one too many rounds in the ring.
Gerard Caron is in trouble. Again. Caught with his pants down (literally) he’s forced to seek asylum on Earth while his fairy godmother tries to keep Prince Charming from going all ‘Off with his head’. Maybe, messing around with the King’s daughter hadn’t been such a great idea after all, not that Gerard knew the silly redhead was a princess. But his fairy godmother knows the only way to save his life is to finally pair Gerard with his perfect mate, whether he’s willing or not.
From the moment Gerard lays eyes on the nerdy librarian he knows he must have her, but Betty is unlike any woman he’s ever known. He thought Betty would come as willingly to his bed as every other woman before her, but she is a woman who demands respect and even… horror of all horrors… love. Is it possible for a self-proclaimed Casanova to change his ways?
Red and Her Wolf:
Long ago there lived a beautiful child. Her name was Violet. Fair of skin, with blonde hair and large blue eyes. Born of wild magic, she was a woman with a child’s heart. Innocent and lovely, but not at all what she seemed--you see Violet went by another name: The Heartsong.
She was the child of fairy magic, the physical manifestation of all fae kinds unbridled power. Cosseted and pampered, she grew up in isolation, never knowing who she really was, or why there were those who’d seek to harm her.
Ewan of the Blackfoot Clan is a wolf with a problem. He’s been sent to kill the Heartsong, but the moment he lays eyes on the blonde beauty he knows he’ll defy the evil fae he works for to claim Violet as his own.
This is the tale of Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, as it really happened...
This is not an erotica, just a good old fashioned romance.
My Personal favorite of the entire Kingdom Series:
Synopsis:
Once upon a time, long, long ago a flower fairy looked up to the sky and dared to fall in love with the Man in the Moon...
Or so goes the tale that Danika weaves for the gathered fae children. Tonight is the night to learn a hidden tale of Kingdom. A story long forgotten, remembered by few. A tale of treachery, of love, betrayal and woe... but there's more to the story than meets the eye. This isn't just a tale of Jericho and Calanthe and their doomed Shakespearean romance, for tonight the truth of one beloved Kingdom character will be revealed.
Or so goes the tale that Danika weaves for the gathered fae children. Tonight is the night to learn a hidden tale of Kingdom. A story long forgotten, remembered by few. A tale of treachery, of love, betrayal and woe... but there's more to the story than meets the eye. This isn't just a tale of Jericho and Calanthe and their doomed Shakespearean romance, for tonight the truth of one beloved Kingdom character will be revealed.
Now give me your links so we can get people to your book sites!!!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007584767758
Blog: http://joveewinterswrites.blogspot.com/
Website: https://www.joveewinters.net/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jovee-Winters/e/B00ZTLI660/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1502318734&sr=1-2-ent
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=jovee+winters
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/jovee+winters?_requestid=952677
-Courtney Moctezuma
No comments:
Post a Comment